XIII, 2012/2+3

Editorial

A new issue of the AR magazine is before you; this time, the thematic focus is on workshops. But first things first. Colleague Tadeja Zupančič presents the topic of research in architecture and inquires into the divide between scientific and implicit knowledge; Mevludin Zečević, Amir Čaušević and Nerman Rustempašić, colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina, present the restoration of the roof structure of a mosque in Prušac; in her contribution, colleague Jeronima Kastelic, together with colleagues Tomaž Novljan and Aleš Vodopivec, presents the role of shadows in architectural design and experience. The contributions from workshops are not discusssed in the editorial; brief abstracts of the workshops can be found at the end of the issue.For our non-faculty readers, let me begin with our pecularity within the framework of architecture schools. We have a long tradition at the faculty of practical training seminars which run for a full week, often also during week-ends, and late into the night. Seminars are not just work, they are the students' way of life. In seminars, students from every year of study come together, and design several projects simultaneously (each designs their own, of course). The difficulty of the projects is in accordance with the year of study, which in terms of teaching is understood as a horizontal division of difficulty of tasks. Mutual collaboration between the mentor, assistants and students within the seminar enables the transfer of knowledge between colleagues from different years; this is vertical connectivity. By observing senior students, the freshmen more easily adopt work and design habits. Despite the explicitly practical orientation of design tasks in the seminar, it remains within the framework of laboratory exercises. This means that a sample of a location is extracted from reality, isolated and then studied at the drawing board through drawings, discussion and models. Workshops are a step further.

Workshops are a fusion of laboratory and field exercises. During the seminar exercises, the reality under discussion is 'invited' into the safety of the faculty environment for analysis, check-up and study. The workshops turn this process outwards; now the 'study assets' (students and mentors) are invited into a real environment. The place of an ideal location is gone; what is left is a study ideal. From the teaching angle, workshops are a good learning method for students, shedding light on designers' work in practice. Spatial issues require a lot more than studying in the studio. By graduating from the faculty, a student becomes a graduated engineer of architecture or, according to the new regulation, a master engineer of architecture. He or she certainly is a competent engineer with expert knowledge covering a wide range of subjects. Workshops provide an insight into the actual design of space in the role of the designer. But there is still a long way to go before becoming a designer; three years of work experience acquired through participation in drawing plans for obtaining building permits constitute the initial ticket for admission to the professional certification exam at the Chamber of Architects (architectural design). Only a successful exam attaches 'designer' to the title of architect. A licensed architect is a person entered in the register of ZAPS, is in possesion of the licensed architect's stamp and works in conformity with legislation. But let me return to the workshops; here, the mentor, or group of co-mentors, has the essential role, meaningfully leading the participants through the preset workshop guidelines. It is not a negligible role; it requires a lot of organisational knowledge, information about the subject and familiarity with the location. The mentor is the first link between the sponsor of the workshop and its participants. Workshops offer their participants the chance to learn and test various ways of public appearance, become familiar with manners of communicating their own perspectives, accept arguments from other participants, and carry on planning at the same time. These are the very virtues that provide new generations of students with better possibilities for survival in the market.

Considering the scope of the workshops over the past ten years, our colleagues have also been very active in terms of merging theory and practice. The diversity and extent of the subjects dealt with make our school well recognised in Slovenia and around the world. Our work across the state border requires special efforts in terms of bridging cultural gaps, language barriers and the organisation of activity at the location. We are rightfully proud of our students, because quite a few of our workshops have been held several times, lasting longer, which proves they are appreciated in practice.

Regarding the issues of field work, it is not only a question of organisation, planning and communication, but also our students' sincere desire to act on behalf of society. Our students did not just design a school in the Republic of South Africa, they also built it; they did not just make sketches of the Karst cultural landscape, they also restored dry-stone walls and shepherd's huts, including across the border. In both cases they, applied building technique which is still stigmatised in our cultural environment as a relic from the past. Despite this, they came to realise that local materials constitute an essential part of the area's culture. They showed respect and understanding, which are essential for an architect's work.

Not a few of our field activities united and brought together local authorities, local businesses and inhabitants. And isn't it the mission of a university to integrate knowledge into the environment to improved living conditions and business? Many workshops opened up dialogues between the various actors involved in spatial design; the fresh wind of the young generation may be useful as it is not burdened by local problems. The designing of space is often apparently a stalemate because of seeminingly insurmountable local obstacles. The mentors and students often find themselves playing the role of mediator between opposing political sides and also members of the community. It so happens that members of a community prefer to vent their anger in our presence to that of local authorities. The skill of listening, and perceiving local issues, is as necessary as an ethical attitude to the environment. The purpose of our field activities is not just working in the field, but shaping the seen, the represented and the analysed in a meaningful and comprehensive design. These comprehensive designs are then presented to the public of the local community by means of public debates, roundtables and exhibitions. The core of our working together is our readiness to assume responsibility for our work and our ethics of operating in space.

The work of an architect or urban planner used to be recognised as a sustaining part of the social system. In the early years of the 20th century, in an extensive work (40 volumes) Martin Buber described the structure and operation of society. He highlighted four crucial professions (each in its own volume) whose presence is indispensable to every society. These are: physician, arhitect, engineer and writer. It's interesting to note that exactly 100 years later, many politicians are far from understanding this structure of society.

I wish you pleasant reading.

Domen Zupančič